Indees softball team drops three in DC play

The Independence/Gilmanton softball team was competitive against some of the top teams in the Dairyland Conference last week, but came up short in three games.

Blair-Taylor had one big inning in a 7-0 loss last Tuesday (see story elsewhere in Sports). On Thursday, the Indees fell to Eleva-Strum, 3-1, before losing to Melrose-Mindoro, 10-2, on Friday.

The losses put I/G’s record at 3-6 before the team played at home against Arcadia on Monday and at Cochrane-Fountain City on Tuesday. The Indees will head to Augusta on Friday. 

Eleva-Strum 3 I/G 1

The Indees got on the board in the top of the seventh, but that’s all they could muster against E-S ace Ruby Bartholomew. 

The Cardinals strung three hits together in the bottom of the first to take a 2-0 lead. The team had a double and single in consecutive at-bats with two outs in the third to go ahead 3-0. 

For the most part, I/G’s Nora Schank kept the Indees in the game. She only allowed five hits and two walks, while striking out seven. But, like most teams, the Indees couldn’t get a read on Bartholomew. The E-S ace struck out 14 without a walk, while limiting I/G to two hits.

One of the two hits was a single by Hadley Sylla to lead off the seventh. Sylla stole second and managed to score from there on a sacrifice fly hit by Schank. 

Mel-Min 10 I/G 2

The Indees scored two runs in the first inning, but that only evened the score and the Mustangs pulled away late.

Hannah Ekern and Danika Ekern hit consecutive RBI singles in the bottom of the first. Both hits brought home one run and the second tied the game, 2-2. But the Indees couldn’t keep the Mustangs in check.

Mel-Min scored two runs in the top of the second then added another in the fourth. The Mustangs broke the game open with five runs in the fifth.

The Indees had four hits in the game with four different players getting one. 

Hailey Gruber took the loss in the circle, allowing nine hits and two walks while striking out two. She didn’t get much help defensively as the Indees committed eight errors, leading to six unearned runs.